L E N T I L S

Autumn is here and it definitely arrived in my kitchen too! I've been craving warming, filling foods rich in colour and flavour. Autumn brings cooler weather, but also a chance to slow down and take time to look after our own wellbeing. Adding warming foods, full of fragrant spices on your menu will keep your appetite satisfied, helping boost the immune system, preparing you for colder months.
Stews, soups and dhals are prefect meals to warm the body. Adding a variety of veg to them will get your daily intake sorted.
Try this super easy and yummy red lentil dhal, packed with flavour and goodness.

Here's what you need:
1 cup of red lentils, rinsed  - no need for soaking
2 small onions
3 garlic cloves
coconut oil or ghee for frying - 1-2 tablespoons
2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
chilli flakes to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger - or even more if you like the taste
500ml of stock - home made or from a cube, I really like using KALLO cubes as they are organic, low in salt and without any artificial additives
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 small tin of coconut milk - 200ml
veg - here you can be as creative as you wish - you can add some chopped carrots, cauliflower or sweet potato, cavolo nero, chard, kale or spinach leaves
salt, black pepper and lemon juice to taste

Here's how to do it:
In a deep, large frying pan heat up the oil. Add mustard seeds wait for them to start popping, then add chopped onions. Fry for 1 minute then add cumin, coriander and garlic. Fry for another minute mixing everything together. Add lentils, turmeric, chilli flakes, tomatoes, coconut milk and stock. Add grated ginger and bring everything to boil. Add chopped root veg  - (keep leaves till the end). Simmer everything for 20-25 minutes, then adding shredded kale, chard, spinach or any other leaves you're using, cooking for another 5 minutes, folding them gently into the pot. Take off heat, add salt, black pepper and lemon juice to taste. Serve hot and enjoy the warm feeling inside out!
This dish is so versatile you can swap veg each time and experiment with pulses using green, red, yellow lentils or mung dal instead. Enjoy.

Watercress Soup

It really feels that spring is finally on its way!! Recently I've been reaching for a lot of green coloured food produce - I think I must be aligning myself with mother nature ;-)
This recipe is just like spring on the plate, but will still give you that warmth and comfort as a good bowl of soup does!

It looks fresh and vibrant and it's very easy to make. I found this recipe on the back of the watercress packet, but modified it slightly to add even more greens.

Here's how to cook it.

You will need:
1 onion chopped
25g of butter
250g of chopped and peeled potatoes
500ml of chicken or vegetable stock (I often use organic Kallo stock cubes for lower salt content)
2 bags of watercress, or one bag of watercress and the same amount of spinach, or one bag of watercress and one bag of green leafy pea shoots
cream either just to drizzle or if you want more creamy taste add 50ml
salt and black pepper to taste

This is how to make it:
In a large pot melt the butter and add chopped onion. Keep stirring until the onion gets soft, but not browned. Next add chopped potatoes and all the stock. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on a low heat for about 20mins. When potatoes are almost cooked add the watercress/spinach/pea shoots and cook for another 5 minutes, no longer. Take off heat blend in a mixer, then add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste and cream if using.

Enjoy with a nice slice of bread with butter and feel the spring coming!

Homemade pasta bake with broccoli

Creamy cheesy pasta bake with some hidden veg is a must dish this winter. Filling, quick to make and enjoyed by the whole family. Who after all doesn't like cheese? 

You can of course swap broccoli for other seasonal veg like carrots, cauliflower or even Brussels sprouts!

Prep time 10 mins, cooking 20 mins

Here's what you need:

approx. 300g of pasta ideally big tubes but all shapes go :-)

handful of washed broccoli florets

150g of grated cheese, cheddar works very well

25g of butter

25g of plain or spelt flour

300ml of milk

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Here's how to do it:

In a large pot boil water and add a pinch of salt. When boiling add pasta and cook according to packet instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking add the vegetables that you are using. 

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees and set it on grill option.

In a separate pan melt the butter and slowly add flour, keep the pan on low heat and slowly start whisking the milk. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Keep the pan on low heat, stirring the sauce continuously until it starts getting thicker. Once it does add half of the grated cheese and stir it until it melts. Take off heat. Once your pasta is cooked drain it and put it back in the pot. Add the sauce, coating the pasta and veg completely. Transfer to an oven proof dish and sprinkle with left over cheese. Place in the oven on the top shelf and grill for 3-5 mins until the cheese starts getting golden and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and dish it out. Enjoy, told you it was easy :-)